Extension table



M. FOX

EXTENS ION TABLE Nov. 28, 1933.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 12 1932 M. FOX

EXTENSION TABLE Nov. 28, 1933.

Filed Jan. 12, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 VIA/ 72%, A? Q 8% %W M. FOX

EXTENSION TABLE Nov. 28, 1933.

Filed Jan. 12, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwuentoo m m w fiatented Nov. 28.1933 i j Company. Chicago. 111

Application January 12, 1932. Serial No. 586,208 ,7 1 9 Claims, (c1. 45-112) l My invention relates to extension tables of that special'type in which the extra leaf is housed at the=center below the inner ends of the members of a'divided top with mechanism automatically operated by the sliding' movement of the top members for bringing theleaf into position coplanar and coextensive therewith when said top members are pushed'a'gainst the leaf, the housing of the latter being likewise accomplished by movement of the top members outward for. dropping said leaf and then inward for con;

tracted arrangement of the table structure.

It is usual to have the operating mechanism associated with the runners or slides at opposite sides of the table to cooperate with supporting brackets depending from the underside of the vertically movable leaf, anexample of' which is disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,778,666; dated October 14, 1930, and my present inventionis an improvement on the construction shown and described'in said patent. r

One of the main objects of. the present invention is to provide a single set of mechanism operable atapproximately the longitudinal centerof' the table to effect the vertical'movement of the. extra leaf by the horizontal sliding 'movement] imparted to the top members, the/said leaf being guided in its movements as well as'fretaine'd in proper position with respect to the operating- 'mechanism and top members by longitudinal side 7 pieces bearing against the frame of the table at the inner sides thereof, with theirjends abutting against stop blocks in one instance or where.

corner fasteners for the legs are employed, and

against the ends of the table frame in bridge construction employing c'rosspieces forthe attachments of the legs. I A further object of my present invention is ,to

simplify the construction of the metal fixture 1 carried by the slide of a tabletop member'where by to insure a positive action of the slidable plate adapted to bridge the'inclined slot in the companion plate in which the pin or roller on the supportingbracket of the leaf travels in raising and lowering the leaf. 7

My invention also contemplates the application of the sliding plate. of the metal fixtureto. a wooden slideby forming the companion horizontal and inclined slots or grooves in the outer side of the wooden slide so that said sliding plate will cooperate therewith.

-With these principal objects in View my invention consists in the particular construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter fully set forth, and what I claimas new and desire to pro+ forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:- Figure 1 is a plan view of an extension table in accordancewith my invention as applied to that type employingcorner leg fastenings.

Fig. 2 is a side View thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing only'so much of the table illustrating the application of my invention to a table, the supporting frame or whichis'the usual bridge construction.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the form of table shown inFig. 3. I p Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are longitudinal sectional views on an enlarged scale showing the different 7 positions of the extra leaf andoperation of the devicesjor mechanism for raising and lowering said leaf by" the sliding movement of the top members; i V I 4 Fig. 8-is a detail side' view of the metal fixture carried by'one of the top members of'the table.

' Fig.9 is asimilar View looking at the opposite side of the fixture. r V Figs. '10 and 11 are enlarged detail'views of the two parts of the device for raising and lowering the leaf. 1

Fig.'12is an edge View of said device.

. Fig. 13 is'a detail view of. the supporting bracket attached to the'leaf.

and pinion for the sliding movement of both top members on the manipulation of either one.

Fig. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view through. the table showing a modification'of my invention for use in connection with a wooden slide.

Fig; 16is'a plan viewillustratinga modification of the rack and pinion for application to wooden slides f 7 Fig.1? is a detail side View of a wooden slide with the metal slide member of the leaf operating device removed.

Fig. 18 is a longitudinal'se'ctional View through the wooden slides on the line 18-18 of Fig. 15', and i Fig. 19 isa transverse sectional view through the center of the rack and pinion shown in Fig. 16."

'My improved form of mechanism for raising and lowering the'supplemental leaf of an exf 1 tension table between the sliding top members is 5 fastened-to the side and end pieces 21, 22 of the o Fig. 141s a planview showingthe usual rack 5 I boxlike supporting frame by corner fastenings comprising the usual corner braces 23 through which the clamping screw 24 passes into the upper end of the leg and in this instance stop blocks 25, 25 are employed to limit the endwise movement of the crosspieces 26 near the ends of the leaf and extending under the top members 27, 27 of the table, while in the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 wooden bridge plates 28 at the lower end of the supporting frame are used for the attachment of the legs 29. In each instance, however, there is a stationary beam 30 extending longitudinally at the center of the supporting frame and secured at its ends to the end pieces 22, 22, said beam supporting the rails or slides 31, 32 attached at their outer ends to the top members 27, 27 by interposed blocks 33, and in that form of the table equipment in which I employ metal slides the beam is provided at opposite sides with longitudinal grooves 34 (Figs. 5-7) rectangular in crosssection to receive the inwardly projecting flange 35 of the slideshaving rack teeth in mesh with a pinion 36 mounted in a recess or depression 3'7 at the center of the beam for movement of the top members of the table on the frame by the manipulation of either one of said top members. To accommodate the raising and lowering movement of the leaf 27a which extends beyond opposite sides of the supporting frame the latter is cut away to form recesses 38 in thebottom of which the leaf rests in its lowered or housed position, and it will be noted by reference to Fig. 2 that when the leaf is raised the crosspieces 26 cover said recesses at the inner side thereof, and in like manner recesses 39 (see Fig. 3) in the ends of the supporting frame through which'the blocks 33 and metal slides 31, 32 pass are covered by wooden pieces 40 secured to the ends of said blocks 33 and depend below the same. As will be apparent the leaf is practically loose within the table frame so that the crosspieces 26, 26 not only serve to guide the same in its vertical movements imparted by the mechanism hereinafter described but also limits the upwardmovement thereof as the extended ends of said crosspieces underlie the top members of the table, and consequently this construction forms an important feature of my invention when a single set of metal fixtures V is used at approximately the longitudinal center *of the table or at one side of the center rail or 31, and this bracket is provided at the lower end thereof with an inwardly projecting pin 42 on which is a roller 43 (Fig. 13) cooperating with a metal fixture carried at the inner end of the slide 31 and consisting of companion plates 44 and 45.

-One of these plates (44) is riveted at its upper end to a downwardly turned flange 46 on the slide and the other slidable at the inner side of the fixed plate and connected thereto by headed pins 47'and 48 projecting from plate 44 through slots 49, 49 '(Fig. 11) in the plate 45,

one of the pins, as 47, being longer than the other to accommodate a tension spring 50 (Fig. 12) interposed between a washer '51 and the head of the pin to maintain the slidable plate yieldingly in the position towhich it may be moved in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter explained.

This fixture serves to raise and lower the leaf by engagement therewith of the roller 43 on the lower end of the leaf supporting bracket 41, and for this purpose plate 44 is provided with an inclined slot 52 extending from the lower end thereof to a horizontal slot 53 while slidable plate 45 is provided with a corresponding inclined slot 54 and a horizontal slot 55 at an acute angle thereto or at one side only of the inclined slot to present an abutment 56 at the other side thereof. The inclined and horizontal slots of both plates are adapted to register in one position of the slidable plate, which latter serves to bridge or close the upper end of the inclined slot in the fixed plate 44 in the other position of said slidable plate. -By reference to Fig. 7 of the drawings it will be noted that when the table leaf is in housed position the roller on pin 42 is on a horizontal plane slightly above the extreme lower edge of the fixed plate 44 and so that said roller may enter the inclined slots 52 and 54 when they are in line with each other, or register. For this purpose both plates are cut away at one side of the lower ends of the slots leaving an extension 57 of plate 44 on which the roller travels in entering said slots when raising and lowering the table leaf. It will be noted also by reference to this figure of the drawings that when the slide 31 and fixture carried therebyare moved outward in extending the table the roller after traveling up the inclined slots to raise the leaf will strike the wall or abutment 56 of the slidable plate and move said plate to the right on plate 44 so as to bridge or close the upper end of slot 52 as shown in Fig. 5 for retaining the leaf in elevated or raised position in closing the top members against the leaf inthe position shown in Fig. 6. During this movement to move or shift the latter for again bringing the inclined slots 'in alignment with each other for the lowering movement of the leaf. The closing operation is effected by moving the top sections 27 outwardly to such an extent only that the roller will lightly engage the abutment 56 and then slide down the inclin d slots to the lower leaf when said table top sections may be slid inwardly or closed against each other for contracting the table structure with the leaf housed.

As the extra leaf is retained within the supporting frame of the table by the crosspieces 26, 26 which prevent lateral movement with respect to the table by contact with the side pieces 21, 21 of said supporting frame, and longitudinal movement prevented by contact with either the stop blocks 25, 25 or end pieces 22, 22 of the supporting frame, the roller at the lower end of the leaf supporting bracket will travel in a vertical path for the proper operationof the mechanism by which the leaf is raised and lowered by the sliding movements of the top sections.- To insure the registration of the inclined slots in the companion plates of the metal fixture so as to receive the roller at the lower end of the supporting bracket for the leaf in the operation of extending the table the slidable plate 45 is provided with an, inwardly projecting pin 58 which strikes against a block 59 attached to the. center rail or fixed slide 30 and automatically shifts said slidable plate when the top members, of the The fixtures hereinbefore described forraising and lowering the leaf are used in connection with magmas metal slides for the top members ofthe table, and in Figs. 15 to 19, I have shown a constructionadapting the invention to wooden slides 31a, 32a cooperating with a center rail or stationary slide 300., the movementof the, slides carrying the table top members in unisonron manipulation of either one of said table top jmembers-beingeffectedby rack bars 35aqattached to the slides 31a, 32a and in mesh with a pinion 36a atthe center of the table. metal fixtures including metal slides filling blocks- 33 are interposed betweentheqtable top; mem-. bers 217, 27 and theslides 31a, .32a soas;to. leaveclearance between the top members and slides or railsto receive the leaf inhoused position; and in this modification the, vertically movable: leaf is also guided and retained within "the, supe;

porting frame by crosspieces 26, 26.

In adapting mypresent invention to wooden slides one of saidslidesgas fiia, is provided, with inclined and horizontal'qslots or gr0oves; .60 and 61 respectively in the cuterside. thereof similar to those in plate 44 hereinbefore referred to and;

in like manner the wooden slide is cut away; at one side of the lower end of the inclined slot or groove, as at 62, to form an extension 63-ofthe.

rear wall of'theinclinedslide up which the roller 43 on the leaf supporting bracket rides. CO7 operating with these slots or grooves 60 and 61' in thewooden slide I-employa slidable plate 64 of the sameshape as the plate with an, inclined slot 65 and a horizontal slot 66 at the upper end thereof, the horizontal-slot in this instance;

extending at opposite sides of the inclined slot,

and said plate is also vprovided with slots 67; 671

through which headed pinsor'screws :68 and 69 pass into the wooden slide, one ofv said pins or screws, as'68, having the tension.springlio'inter-- posed between the headand washer 71,: with the latter bearing against theplate as shown in, Fig.-18 for retaining the same in yielding sliding V engagement with'the-wooden. slide. The wooden slides are. provided with the usual dovetailed tongues and grooves, the movable'slides having.

short. tongues 72 at. the inner ends thereoffc'ooperating with the short tongues 73101! the center rail with loose blocks .74 interposed betweensaid tongues asshown in the sectional view. Fig.'18.

The operation ofthe equipment TOIPWOOdfiIl' slides is the same as. that of the -.metal slides,'. that is to say-the roller project-ing'inwardly from. the lower end of the leaf supporting. bracket travels in the slots 65,, 66, and. grooves 60, 61,. in.

raising and lowering the leaf and when the roller travels to the "upper end of the aligned slots 60, 65 it will push the plate to bridge or close the upper end of slot or groove to retain the leaf in elevated position during the closing of the top sections against the same, which movement shifts the plate to again bring the slots 60 and in line so that the leaf will drop for housing the same when the top members of the table are pulled out slightly to bring the roller in line. with the upper end of said inclined slots down which it passes to below the narrow portion of the plate for the closing of the top members against each other in contracting the table structure.

In the construction 'of the metal fixtures for raising and lowering the leaf disclosed in my prior patent hereinbefore referred to the main plate is provided with an elongated slot extended from the lower end of the inclined slot and toggle links employed for guiding the leaf in its vertical movements, whereas in the improved construction embodied in this application there.

As in the other construction of.

iseconomy of construction inasmuch as a smaller or shorter: plate is used in connection with the raising and lowering mechanism and the leaf is guided by the simple arrangement of crosspieces; that also serve to cover the openings in the side rails of the table frame when the leaf is in :raised :position between the slidable top members; r

.From the foregoing. description in. connection with:the accompanying drawings disclosing. my

present'invention it will be obvious that I pro- Vide a construction of operating mechanismfor extension tables requiring but a single set of .metal fixtures'at approximately the longitudinal center .of the tablev to lift the leaf into position between the movable top members, and that al-' though the leafiis disconnectedfrom the other parts of .thetable and rests loosely on the table.

slidesit is firmly guided in its vertical movements bythe. crosspieces so that the roller carried thereby will at all times be in proper position to not. only engage the fixture carried by the metal slide but act in a positive manner to shift the slidable plate of said fixture for positioning the inclined slots in and out of line with each other. The efficient. operation. is accomplished by both forms of construction, using either metal slides or wooden slides, and in connection with any particulartype of supporting framafor the top members and their slides;

consequently though I have shown examples of the. preferred forms it is apparent that other modifications or changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. .I claim: V ;-1. extensiontable comprising a frame supporting longitudinally slidable top members and a leaf housed below the inner ends thereof, crosspiec'essecured to the underside of the leaf and engagingthe frame of the table to prevent end wise movement "of'said leaf, and stops onthe frame of the table at opposite ends of the cr'osspieces: with which the latter engage to prevent lateral movement. of the leaf; together with means'for raising and lowering the leaf between the slidable top members.

2. .An extensiontabl'e comprising a frame sup-' porting longitudinally slidable' top members and a leafhoused below the inner: ends thereof and adapted to be raised and lowered with respect to the topzmembers, saidframe includingside and leaf housed below the inner ends of the top members and adapted to be raised and lowered with respect thereto, and crosspieces secured to the under side of the leaf to engage the. supporting frame for guiding the leaf in its vertical movements; together with means for raising and lowering the leaf comprising a roller carried by the leaf, and a metal fixture attached to one of the aforesaid slides, the metal fixture consisting of a fixed plate having a horizontal slot and an inclined slot extending downwardly therefrom and opening out from the lower end of said plate,

Uis

and a plate slidable on the fixed plate at one side thereof and having a horizontal slotshorter than the horizontal slot in said fixed plate with which it registers and an inclined slot adapted to be brought into and out of line with the inclined slot in the fixed plate.

4. An extension table comprising a frame supporting top members having slides for horizontal movement of said top members on the frame, a leaf housed below the inner ends of the top mem bers and adapted to be raised and-lowered with respect thereto, and crosspiecessecured to the underside of the leaf to engage the supporting frame for guiding the leaf in its vertical movements, said crosspieces extending under the top members tolimit the upward movement of the leaf; together with means for raising and lowering the leaf comprising. a roller carried by the leaf, and a metal fixture attached to one of the aforesaid slides, the metal fixture consisting: of a fixed plate having a horizontal slot and an in clined slot extending downwardly therefrom and opening out from the lower end of said plate, and a plate slidable on the fixed plate at one side thereof and having a horizontal slot shorter than the horizontal slot in said fixed plate with which it registers and an inclinedv slot adapted to be brought into andv out of line with the inclined slot in the fixed plate.

5. An extension table comprising a frame supporting top members having slides for horizontalmovement of said top members on the frame, a leaf housed below the inner ends of the top members and adapted to be vraised and lowered with respect thereto, and crosspieces secured to the under side of the leaf to engage the supporting frame for guiding the leaf in its vertical movements; together with means for raising andlowering the leaf comprising a roller carried"v by the leaf, and a metal fixture attached to one of theaforesaid slides, the metal fixture consisting. of

a fixed plate having a horizontal slot and an inclined slot extending downwardly therefrom and opening out from the lower endof saidplate below the upper edge of said slot and lower edge of the projecting front portion of theplategand a plate slidable on the fixed plate at one side thereof and having a horizontalslot shorter than: the horizontal slot in said fixed plate with which it registers and an inclined slot adapted to be brought into and out of line with the inclinedslot in the fixed plate.

6. A metal fixture for extension tables comprising a fixed plate having a horizontal slot and an inclined slot extending downwardly therefrom and opening out from the lower end of said plate, and a plate slidable on the fixed plate at one side thereof and having a horizontal slot shorter than the horizontal slot in said fixed plate with which it registers and an inclined slot adapted to be brought into and out of line with the inclined slot in the fixed plate,

'1. Inan extension table having a frame supporting top members with slides for horizontal movement of said top members on the frame, and a leaf housed below the inner ends of the top members and adapted to be raised and lowered with respect thereto, a metal fixture for raising and lowering the leaf comprising plates attached to one of the slides and slidable one upon the other with means responsive to the movement of the slide for raising and lowering the leaf and for temporarily supporting the same in raised posi tion, and a member on the frame of the table for shifting the slidable plate independently of the aforesaid operating means.

8.-- An extension table comprising a frame supporting top members having slides for horizontal movement of said top members on the frame, and a leaf" ho'used below the inner ends of the top members and adapted to be raised and lowered with respect thereto, a fixture carried by one of the slides: and consisting of plates slidable one upon the other with means on the leaf responsive to the movement of the slide and fixture carried thereby for raising and lowering the leaf, a pin projecting from the sliding plate of the fixture, and a member on the supporting frame with which said p'in engages to move the sliding plate in one direction at the limit of the movement of said fixture one direction.

9. extension table comprising a frame supporting topmembers having slides for horizontal inovement'of said top members onthe frame, a leaf housed below the inner ends of the top members and; adapted to be raised and lowered with respect thereto, crosspieces secured to the under side of the leaf to engage the supporting frame for guiding the leaf in its vertical movements,

a fixture carried by one of the slides and con-' sisting of plates slidable one upon the other with means on the leaf responsive to the movement of the slide and fixture carried thereby for raising and lowering the leaf, a pin projecting from the sliding plateof the fixture, and a member on the supporting frame with which said pin engagesto move the sliding plate in one direction at the limit of the movement of said fixture in one direction.

MARTIN FOX.- 

